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In This Issue:
• Feature Article:
International Education Week – An International Celebration in and out of the Classroom
• Language Lizard Update: New products, Facebook
• Product Review:
Marek and Alice’s Christmas
• *Subscriber Special Offer*:
10% Discount on Marek and Alice's Christmas
• Featured Product: 2010 Festivals Calendars
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Language Lizard Update
Dear Reader:
Some of you may be involved in activities associated with International Education Week (IEW). This week is a wonderful time to share and learn about world cultures and languages with your students and/or family. For those of you who have not participated in IEW events, we hope the feature article below will give you ideas on how you can become involved in the future. In the meantime, you can see what others are doing and share some of the projects and stories with your class or children by visiting the IEW website at http://iew.state.gov .
With the winter holidays approaching, we are also offering Culture Connection subscribers a timely discount on one of the newest titles in our Festivals/Holidays collection, Marek and Alice’s Christmas. This book shows children how Christmas is celebrated in one part of Europe -- teaching them about traditions with which they may not be familiar. Read below for a full review of the book and details on the subscriber discount.
We are also pleased to introduce our first "Festivals Calendar" for the 2010 year. With beautiful images and descriptions of holidays throughout the world, we are sure it will provide a year full of enjoyment and make a wonderful holiday gift. We have included a few images and a brief review of the calendar below.
Finally, we want to let you know that you can now become a fan of Language Lizard on Facebook. We hope you'll join us!
Anneke Forzani
Founder and President
Language Lizard, LLC
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 Book Review: Marek and Alice’s Christmas
Written by Jolanta Starek-Corile
Illustrated by Priscilla Lamont
Paperback
Ages 3-8
Review by Maureen Pugh
This brightly illustrated book is part of our celebration series, which explores the way people celebrate different festivals around the world. In the story, Marek, his sister Alice, and their parents are visiting their extended family including their babcia (grandmother), dziadek (grandfather) and prababcia (great-grandmother) in Poland. All are involved in preparing for the big Christmas celebration and Marek is full of questions. Why does prababcia put hay under the table? Why does she set an extra place at the table? Why do they look for the first star of the night before they begin their feast?
After the Christmas banquet, it is off to Midnight Mass for Marek, while Alice stays home with prababcia to see if at midnight “all the animals can talk.” But at midnight the kids are fast asleep, one at church, and one at home. After all, they have had a big day!
Marek and Alice’s Christmas describes many rituals of a traditional Polish Christmas, and invites readers to share in the celebration.
Marek and Alice’s Christmas is available in English with Albanian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, French, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Urdu and Welsh.
If you’re interested in purchasing this book please visit the webpage at http://www.languagelizard.com/Alice_and_Marek_s_Christmas_p/chr.htm
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Special Subscriber Offer: 10% Discount on Marek and Alice's Christmas.
Through December 1, 2009 we are offering a 10% discount on the following book:
Simply apply Coupon Code CCS-CHR upon checkout to receive the discount.
To see the difficulty level of these and other Language Lizard books, please visit our “Book Suggestions” page at http://www.languagelizard.com/images/Childrens_Bilingual_Books.pdf
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Featured Product: Festivals Calendar 
This beautiful, laminated, ring-bound wall calendar is a great resource to promote multiculturalism and to help children recognize diversity. Each month celebrates a different festival, with written information, stunning photography and illustrations.
For example, February shows a lovely photo of children celebrating Chinese New Year. Kids can read about this holiday and the traditions associated with it, such as giving New Year's money in special red envelopes, hiding a lucky coin in the New Year dumplings, and watching the magnificent Dragon Parade, Lion Dance and fireworks.
May shows an image of a child celebrating Wesak, the celebration of the Buddha's birthday. Wesak is celebrated through services with chanting and praying, teachings at the temple, and processions, music and dancing. People give offerings of food, flowers and candles, and both adults and children take part in the Bathing of the Buddha ceremony.
In September, children will learn about Eid-ul-Fitr, the Muslim festival that marks the end of the month of Ramadan. The text highlights traditions such as sending greeting cards, reciting prayers, giving money to charity and enjoying celebratory meals together.
October features Sukkot, a harvest festival that commemorates the time when the Jews lived in makeshift shelters in the desert, after they had escaped from slavery in Egypt. This month includes a beautiful photo of children under a 'sukkah' and the importance of this structure.
Other holidays featured in the calendar include St. Patrick's Day, Vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi, the start of the Sikh New Year), Carnival, Diwali (the Festival of Light), Christmas, and more. Many other world holidays are identified on the days of each month.
If you’re interested in purchasing this calendar, please visit the webpage at: http://www.languagelizard.com/2010_FESTIVALS_CALENDAR_p/festiv.htm
Note: This item can be ordered now and will be available to ship by early Dec 2009.
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Feature Article
International Education Week – An International Celebration in and out of the Classroom
By Sarah Gardenghi, MA
Imagine a day at school with international students in traditional dress, waving flags from countries around the world. Now imagine a week dedicated to international culture, language, dance, stories, clothing and food.
During the third week in November each year, you do not need to imagine such events; rather you can help celebrate them during International Education Week (IEW). In 2000, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the U.S. Department of Education created IEW as a way for exchange students to share information about their home countries in a fun and interesting format. The IEW main website, http://iew.state.gov states, “ The worldwide celebration of IEW offers a unique opportunity to reach out to people in every nation, to develop a broader understanding of world cultures and languages, and to reiterate the conviction that enduring friendships and partnerships created through international education and exchange are important for a secure future for all countries.”
During IEW, schools, businesses, non-government agencies, community organizations, embassies and associations hold events to celebrate international education. For many international students or employees, this week provides the opportunity to teach others about their culture, language, food and homeland. It also connects students with their host community, taking them beyond their “student status” and sharing their cultural identity. Many students participate in events that give a voice and visual to who they are and how these cultural elements make them unique and wonderful.
There are several things you can do if your school or organization is interested in hosting or attending events in your area. Start by visiting the IEW main website http://iew.state.gov , which lists links on how to get involved, promotional materials, and events. This website also has videos and photos of what other schools have done to promote IEW, and allows you to join the subscriber list to receive regular updates.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County hosts events for the community and campus each day during IEW. An opening reception with International Service Departments and the President’s Office demonstrates interest and appreciation for the international students. Events such as a speaker series delivered by former Peace Corp volunteers, a study abroad fair and a “Thanks Around the World” banquet, highlight the diversity of groups and individuals on campus.
So put on your creative intercultural caps and get involved! Here are some fun things your group can do to get started:
- Videotape your international students as they participate in class activities, parties, field trips and community events.
- Ask international or newly immigrated students (or parents of younger students) to give speeches/presentations in classes, in a school assembly or at a scheduled school event.
- Involve the local community. Advertise events with the newspaper and with the Chamber of Commerce. Post event flyers at restaurants, international grocery markets and with international employers in your area.
- Host an international dance or bazaar. People can make traditional foods. Music and cultural videos illustrate the variety of your organization’s international students.
- Prepare a fashion show or traditional dance program. Students love to show their clothing and many enjoy teaching dances they do back home.
- Involve all ages. Mix up activities with elementary, middle and high school and college students. Take students off campus or bring international groups to schools. The more interactive, the better!
Once your school or organization becomes involved in IEW, you can post your videos, pictures, projects and stories at http://iew.state.gov Your students’ involvement will be shared globally in the pursuit of spreading knowledge through culture and language. This year, International Education Week is November 16 – 20, 2009. If you are preparing for next year, IEW is scheduled for November 15-19, 2010.
Sarah Gardenghi, M.A., is Assistant Director for Student Services at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she advises international students attending the English Language Center about personal, academic and immigration issues, and assists students as they transition into the university undergraduate and graduate programs. Ms. Gardenghi frequently provides training in intercultural communication, public speaking and career development for campus departments and community organizations. |
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A Favorite Quote
“The sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language, and no single language is capable of expressing all forms and degrees of human comprehension”
- Ezra Pound, in the ABC of Reading
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About Language Lizard
Language Lizard, LLC aims to enrich children's lives with language and culture. The Company believes that children will be inspired to learn languages and connect with other cultures if they are exposed to fun and creative learning materials early in their lives.
Language Lizard currently offers award-winning dual-language children's products in over 40 languages. To find out more about our company and products, or to sign up for this free e-newsletter, please visit www.LanguageLizard.com.
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